In honor of Megan Fox's evil flag-twirler in "Jennifer's Body," we celebrate our favorite cheerleaders on film

By Frank Paiva
Special to MSN Movies

There is no high school student more hated, loved, or fetishized than the cheerleader. Just hearing the word conjures (perhaps painful) memories of teenage years gone by. As ambassadors of both school spirit and T&A, cheerleaders hold enormous social and hormonal sway. In many schools, their influence borders on omnipotence.

Some of Hollywood's most beautiful and respected actresses, including Sandra Bullock, Cameron Diaz, Eva Longoria, Reese Witherspoon, and Renee Zellweger were cheerleaders back in the day. Child stars Miley Cyrus and Dakota Fanning have also been known to pick up a pom-pom or two.

The representation of cheerleaders on film is largely negative. That's because the overwhelming majority of movies are written and directed by men who never got a second glance from them in high school. Cheerleaders are often depicted as busty shrews that have nothing better to do than make other people miserable.

In the new movie "Jennifer's Body," one such cheerleader goes even further. In this horror comedy by Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody, the title character is a sexy cheerleader possessed by a demon who begins killing the horny teenage boys that make passes at her.

Is it feminist revenge? The ultimate male fantasy? The perfect role for Megan Fox? Probably all three.

In celebration of the film's release, here are some of our favorite big screen cheerleaders: